Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series) (29 page)

“My Lady Battle Raven, I would like to present you with a gift. He walked to the corner of the room and pulled a cloth off the top of a table that was placed in the corner. He picked up a gleaming breastplate. There was Raven pounded into it with a red ruby eye. It was a perfect match to her dagger.

“How did you get it right?” she asked.

Aodhan gave her a lop sided grin. “Guilty. I took one of your drawings of your dagger and gave it to Christian so he could copy it.”

Lara stood up from her seat and walked over and Ruark held it up for her. He gave her a slight bow as she took the breast plate from him.

“It’s beautiful.” she said and as she looked at the shape that was very womanly
.

Ruark said proudly “Christian is the best. The rest of the armor will be ready in your tent by tonight. I wanted to present to you what he had done so far.
He also wanted you to come down and see if the clothing he had his wife make for you fits. You can head there after we finish here. The war counsel will start one hour’s time after the meal.”

Doireann spoke up her lavender eyes piercing into Lara. “Enough war talk. Lara, could you please tell us some things about your realm. It sounds fascinating. What do you miss the most?” she clasped her hands under her chin and listened in wide eyed anticipation.

“There is so much to tell. I miss the convenience of some things. It’s hard to explain without actually showing you.” Lara looked at her eager eyes and really didn’t know where to start and decided on electricity.

“Back home. At the flip of a switch or push of a button a light would turn on or heat would flow into a house. I have a MP3 player, Um, it’s a box that stores all sorts of music.” Lara couldn’t believe it be she thought Doireann’s eyes got even wider.

“Bevin said Aodhan was telling her about your, what did he call it, a jeep.”

“A jeep is a vehicle that can hold five people and has four wheels underneath. Kind of like a carriage that runs on its own. It goes faster than five mustang horses put together.” She grinned thinking of the mustang commercial.

Doireann wistfully said. “Amazing. If you go back would you take me through? Please tell me more.”

Ruark cleared his throat. “I think that is enough Doireann.”

Doireann let out a disgruntled sigh. “Yes General.”

Blaine stood. “Given that everyone is done eating I believe we should take a short break. The servants need time to clean and re-set up the war room. We will meet in one hour’s time to discuss our plans.”

Devlyn quickly got up and pulled Lara’s chair out for her. She stood up, smiled a thank you and looked over at Aodhan. The look he was giving Devlyn was not a happy one.

“Do you do this for the sheer pleasure of tormenting Aodhan?” she asked.

He tried not to look guilty. “Old habits die hard.”

Devlyn linked his arm through hers and led her out of the room where the servants were already clearing the table. He was trying not to look in Fand’s direction because he knew if he did, he’d make a fool of himself again. Devlyn let out a breath as he stepped out holding the door flap for Lara. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. Eion stepped up to him and held out his arm for Lara.

“I think you have tortured Aodhan enough I will escort Lara from here.”

“A little friendly competition does not hurt anyone.” He gave Eion a sly grin.

“Except for the fact that it is not a competition. Do not forget about Fand. I see the way you look and act around her.” Eion said.

Devlyn rolled his eyes at Eion. “I know. Like I told the lady, old habits die hard. Aodhan has Bevin too you know.” He sharply turned and walked over
to where Aodhan, Dillon and Bevin were talking.

As Eion led Lara away she glanced over her shoulder at Devlyn. “What is with that anyway? It’s all fun and games but there has got to be more to it.”

“Devlyn and Aodhan are great friends. However, there has always been competition between them. Being it swordplay, seeing who could stuff as many pies of Orla’s down to women. We should hurry to see Christian so that you can get back to the war counsel in time. Also, I am anxious to hear what Liam and you talked about last night.”

Lara curiously looked at the large square tent Eion was leading her to. It had a rusty brown chimney sticking out the middle top of the tent and the large door flap was tied up so that the whole front was open. A few paces down from the armory were a set of three square tents with a small hallway connecting all of them.

“Would that be the healer’s tent?” she asked.

“That is where you are going to have the noon meal.” Eion said gladly avoiding any more talk about Liam.

Looking back to the forge or armory as some would call it she looked over all the body armor, weapons and shields of every kind. From spears, double headed battle axes, war hammers, crossbows and regular bows and of course swords of every length. All were neatly stacked and organized by type of weapon, armor and so on. She supposed Christian kept them in order for soldiers to easily get to them at a seconds notice. There were at least three apprentices helping him at the forge with the bellows.

Even though there were several pieces of armor Lara could tell which were Christians work. She had examined the pieces when she visited before and was amazed by the details in his work. Christian had a rare gift and the decoration on the armor included techniques such as engraving, gilding, etching and painting. There was also older armor set off to the side had been brought by some of the soldiers from their towns armory.

Walking up to her out of the open front of the forge Lara saw a woman unlike the skinny size zero models at breakfast. She was Lara’s height, curvy and all woman. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up in a pony tail with a couple of strands hanging on each side of her face. There was a spray of freckles across her nose to match her smiling blue eyes. Lara was relieved to see she wasn’t the only woman
not
wearing a dress.

“Lara, I presume? It is good to finally meet you! Eion, it is also good to see you back. I have heard so much about you.”

“All good I hope.” he said as he held out his arm to her and she took it

“Please. Come this way you can change in my part of the forge it is where I do my sewing.” She looped her other arm around Lara’s and led them both into the open area of the forge.

“It is very rare that I get the chance to dress a woman for battle. I’ve also been making sure that Christian is getting your armor right too. He almost made your breastplate flat. For a woman can you believe that?”

Gobnait’s energy was contagious. Lara grinned at Eion. “I like her.
She’s spunky.”

Eion laughed. “That she is.”

“The world would be a most dreadful place without my spunk.” Gobnait said as she laughed and let go of Eion’s arm. She led Lara past Christian working with an anvil and hammer pounding away on something she couldn’t quite make out.

“Lara.” he said and nodded at her and blushed.

She stifled a laugh knowing the blush was from earlier when he had to measure her. She removed her arm from Gobnait’s and stepped up to him and kissed his cheek. “The armor is beautiful.”

He winked at his wife “Happy to hear my work is appreciated. I see you’ve met my wife.”

“It’s girl time honey. You two can have your
boy
time.” She led Lara away from them.

“I apologize that I wasn’t here to help measure you.” Gobnait turned her head and looked at Christian. “I think he has a permanent blush on his face.”

Lara studied Christian and Gobnait. His long blond hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and he was not exactly how she thought a blacksmith would look. Instead of huge bulging muscles he was tall and lean. Not to say he was not a muscular man just not a hulk of a man.

“Excuse me for a second.” Gobnait said.

“Ok.” She watched as Gobnait walked up to him. He smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of her head
Kodak moment
Lara thought and committed the scene to memory.

Gobnait walked over to Lara and led her through a flap in the back of the tent into a separate room. It hit Lara and she realized who Gobnait was. The more she looked at her the more she started to see the resemblance. Shanna’s sister. Lara looked around and examined the area full of fabric, leather and a makeshift sewing machine. She walked over to a chair with some clothing draped over it. She heard the flap to the room rise and fall.

“Those would be yours. I will go back out and talk to Christian and Eion to give you some privacy. I’ll be back in a couple shakes.”

Lara walked over to the chair and picked up the leather pants. She ran her hand across the soft leather
Humph figures
she said and thought of some of the women who kicked butt that wore leather. Except that this was
not
Hollywood, comics or cartoons. This is the
real
world, or well, alternate world anyways.

She picked up the shirt. “Nice. Very Renaissance.”

It was an off the shoulder dark green blouse that the arms slightly flared out to her wrists. She examined the sleeves. Loose enough for movement but not enough to be grabbed by someone or get caught on something. She really didn’t think these were the clothes that she would wear into battle.

The next piece of clothing was a black leather bodice that was very corset like with thick straps. It laced up the back with a thick dark green ribbon. She examined the front of it and there was a raven pounded and embroidered
into the leather.

“Guess that’s my new symbol.” she laughed to herself.

Lara took off what she had on and pulled the on the leather pants. She stretched a bit and the pants were actually more comfortable than she thought. Soft thick leather not stiff at all. She pulled the shirt on over her head, turned and looked over her shoulder into a tall mirror that was set in the corner of the room at her tattoo.

“I wonder if the bodice will hide that and now for
the piece de resistance.
Now I’m talking to myself.”

Lara put her arms through the holes and attempted to lace it up the back. She got it half way and gave up deciding to slip on the boots. As Lara was lacing up her boots Gobnait stuck her head in.

“How is it going?”

“They fit perfect. Except I need help with this.” Lara turned around and Gobnait walked over to help her.

“That is what a good man is for. It’s a good thing we are the same size. All I had to do was go off of my pattern and slightly alter some of the clothes that I had lying around at my sisters. Which by the way, she said my green dress looked lovely on you.” she begun lacing up the rest of the bodice and was forced to stop when Lara turned to her.

“Thank you so much for everything. Shanna is a wonderful person and you are the only woman around here that I’ve felt completely comfortable around.”

“What? You don’t like hanging out with the Royals?”

They both turned as the door flap opened. Aodhan stuck his head in and announced himself. “Ladies.”

“Don’t you have any respect for a woman’s quarters? You have not changed a bit Aodhan MacCionaoith. Always doing as you please. What if she wasn’t proper?” Gobnait squealed.

She walked up him to shut the flap in his face. Aodhan opened the flap and looked in again.

“I was coming to get Lara. Eion had to go and talk with father and he asked me to come for her.” He glanced over at Lara. “You look beautiful. Gobnait you are a genius.”

Their heads turned as Christian yelled. “Gobnait, can you please come and help me for a second?”

“You always were such a flatter. Especially when you are in a spot. Men, can’t they handle things on their own.” She looked at Aodhan and grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him the rest of the way in.

“Or barge in on a woman. I will be back in a moment there are a few more sets of clothes on the chair for you and a pack to put them in too.” she patted out the wrinkles in Aodhan’s shirt and glared at him as she left.

“She seems to be a huge fan of yours.” Lara said as she walked up to him and straightened his shirt.

“Gobnait? She is just territorial. Her and Christian balance each other
out very well.” He noticed the laces hanging at the back of her bodice.

“Having a problem?” he asked.

“Yes. Unless you consider this
woman’s
work. Could you help me, my Lord?” Lara asked giving him a slight mocking curtsey as he smiled at her.

Lara turned around moving aside some of her loose hair. Aodhan let out a small laugh at her attitude and looked over the laces. He picked up the ends and started to lace up the back of her bodice where Gobnait had left off and paused.

“There a problem?” Lara asked and started to turn.

Aodhan playfully tugged on the laces facing her back away from him. “I just wanted to look at something.”

“My tattoo I’m guessing.” she smiled to herself.

He brushed aside some of her hair and outlined the tattoo with his finger giving her goose bumps. As Aodhan examined it closer he read Kedryn’s name in Celtic style letters with a sword and an orchid.